Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Public transport is crucial in the fight against climate change, making our cities more liveable and supporting sustainable mobility for vulnerable and low-income communities.
However bus drivers, passengers and the environment have been victims of a decades-long experiment in privatisation.
In July 2021 FIRST Union’s #BusFair campaign called for the Ministry of Transport to abolish the current tendering model (the “PTOM”), massively increase investment in public transport, and work together with stakeholders to bring our public transport back into public ownership.
Trishil spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter for this weeks delayed ActionStation.
We’ve got our regular segment with Andrew Little brought to us by Tuva’a. He speaks to the Health Minister about Mental Health awareness week and the new funding for Pharmac.
Joe speaks to Professor Karen Waldie, a developmental neuropsychologist from the University of Auckland and research lead for the Growing Up in New Zealand Psychology Domain about this years theme of reconnecting for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Trishil brings OurActionStation over to the Thursday Wire this week, today we look at the #BusFairCampaign seeking to end privatisation of public transport, he spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter. Trishil also speaks to Ban-Al Galani 0800 What’s Up about their youth mental health focus over the last 21 years
Finally, we’ve got Frances with the Green Desk. She looks at Reconnecting with nature this week, and spoke with Drew Divehall, the Speak Wellbeing Adviser at the Department of Conservation on the matter.
The new UK government has only been in power for less a month, yet has already found itself in economic and political turmoil following the release of a package of tax cuts and borrowing.
Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, released his ‘mini-budget’ last week, prompting a sharp devaluation of the Great British Pound against the greenback.
The International Monetary Fund today took aim at the package, warning that "large and untargeted fiscal packages" would likely increase inequality in Britain and could undermine monetary policy.
To get more on the currency crisis, as well as how it may impact us in Aotearoa, Emilia spoke to Murat Üngör from the University of Otago.
Cities across Iran have erupted in protests following the death of 22-year old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini 2 weeks ago.
Amini was arrested by the so-called morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaching the country’s strict modesty laws that require women to wear a hijab.
Authorities claim Amini died of heart failure after she was taken into custody to be quote ‘educated’, however her family claims she was beaten and tortured, before falling into a 3-day coma and eventually succumbing to her injuries.
Iran Human Rights said it had recorded the deaths of 76 protesters across 14 provinces as of Monday, including six women and four children, although it warned that restrictions on the internet placed by the Iranian government were causing delays in reporting.
Emilia spoke to Dr. Forough Amin, founder of Iranian Women in New Zealand.
On this week’s installation of Eurovision, Emilia chats with our European Correspondent Cameron Adams from Berlin about Ukraine, the Italian elections, and wildlife in Europe.
The National party put out a press release last week reiterating their call to expel the Russian ambassador Georgii Zuev.
Foreign affairs minister Nanaia Mahuta says the move to expel Zuev is under active consideration.
For Casper's weekly catchup with National MP Dr Shane Reti they spoke about the potential move to expel the ambassador and why the party believes it should happen.
With Mental Health Awareness Week kicking off, online safety non-profit Netsafe has partnered with Bodyright to promote body positivity and awareness of unrealistic portrayals of the human body in the media.
To discuss the campaign and the message they're hoping to send, Christina spoke to Netsafe's youth ambassador Andre Fa'aoso.
A members bill put forwarded by Green party MP Eugenie Sage that would have prevented further mining on conservation land has failed without support from the Labour party.
Previous Labour party policy was to have no new mining, but they have now proposed a review of DOC land instead of an outright mining prohibition.
Casper spoke to Coromandel Watchdog chair Catherine Delahunty about the bill, why many believed it to be important and how it's failure may contradict Labour’s promises.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Allan Blackman joined Casper and Christina in studio to talk science news for the Dear Science segment.
Casper spoke to Dr Shane Reti from the National party, as he does each week, this time discussing the possibility of expelling the Russian ambassador to New Zealand.
To kick off Mental Health Awareness Week, Christina spoke to Netsafe’s Youth Ambassador Andre Fa’aoso about their campaign with Bodyright to promote body positivity.
And Casper had a chat with Catherine Delahunty, the chair of the Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, about mining on conservation land.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently spoke to media saying that the government would announce reforms to the Holidays Act that would impact sick leave entitlements for part time workers.
Under the suggested changes, sick leave entitlements would be processed under an accrual system, meaning that part-time workers working half the hours of their full-time counterparts may only earn half of their previously entitled sick leave.
In that same week, a directive was recently given to Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries.
And earlier this week Associate Education David Seymour announced a review of the funding for early childhood education.
For our weekly Catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
Last week, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced plans to double the tourism value by 2034, with increased funding to support the country in reaching this goal. The funding is primarily targeted at increasing the marketing of New Zealand tourism overseas, which has been met with mixed reactions from tourism operators in Aotearoa, many of whom have been struggling with existing tourist numbers.
Also this past week, the New Zealand government imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers for ‘inciting extremist violence’ against Palestinians. While the move has received cross-party support, opposition parties such as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have criticised the government for not taking further action against Israel.
In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the new tourism funding.
This week on Dear Science our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about characterising liquid carbon, a New Zealand led cleanup in Antarctica, and plants making their own pesticide.
The ACT Party has recently announced that candidates standing in local elections, if elected, will oppose attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.
ACT Local Government spokesperson, Cameron Luxton, says council’s should “focus on what they can control,” and not “costly symbolic declarations”.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move.
We also discussed the government’s sanctions on Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
New Zealand has joined countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and Norway, in banning Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegedly “inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and “undermin[ing] peace” for a two-state solution.
Finally, we discussed changes being made to the proposed anti-stalking laws.
But first, we discussed ACT candidates opposing attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.
Los Angeles is approaching a week of protests against ICE, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Over 200 protestors have been arrested since the protests began, and restrictions have been placed on protestors, including a curfew.
The White House has sent 2,000 members of the National Guard to the city already, and another 2,000 are expected to be deployed. This is despite California Governor Gavin Newsom attempting to stop their deployment.
For International Desk, I spoke to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about the protests.
New Zealand and key allies have imposed sanctions on two “extremist” Israeli politicians for their role in “inciting violence against Palestinians” in the West Bank.
However, opposition parties, including Labour as well as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, are calling for further action to be taken against Israel.
It comes after Israel kidnapped 12 pro-Palestine activists on international waters, who were intending to break the aid blockade and reach Gaza.
And earlier this week, the National Business released their annual rich list.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, I spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about these topics.
On Tuesday, Aucklanders checked the updated property valuations of their house, for many to find declines in value by 10s of thousands of dollars —- on average, by 9% from when they were last done in 2021.
According to the Council. rating valuations were based on market trends and recent sales activity, as of May 1 2024.
Wayne Brown said in response to the decreased values, “The economy's been faltering for a while, and It's really driven by government policies rather than Auckland's policies,”
Also, as we get closer to 2026 and the completion of the City Rail Link, Aucklanders have expressed various concerns about the standard of completion, including incorporation of public feedback.
I discuss the incorporation of the wider neighbourhood in Mt Eden at the Maungawhau station and the dismissal of public perspectives at the K Road station
Currently, 19 out of 38 OECD countries use incineration as a form of waste management.
With the process leading to a range of negative impacts, such as air pollution, Co2 emissions and respiratory illnesses, Aotearoa has luckily remained incinerator free.
However, calls have been made by some activists to strengthen New Zealand’s legislation to ensure that incineration facilities are not opened up in Aotearoa.
For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Network New Zealand to discuss a petition calling on the government to keep New Zealand Incinerator-free.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
The Green party recently made renewed calls to the government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine following the seizure of the Madleen, a vessel that aimed to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza.
The vessel, which was en route to Gaza, was intercepted in the Mediterranean by the Israeli Defence Forces before being rerouted to Israel with all those on board, among whom was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford recently announced the Parent Boost Visa, part of the government’s self-described commitment to supporting parents living overseas to visit and stay with their families here in Aotearoa.
And, over in the United States, 2000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests opposing the city’s recent immigration raids.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about all of these issues
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